A venerable restaurant chain uses the motto “in sight, must be right,” that also easily applies to the hibachi grill room at New Star Restaurant, 7444 W. North Ave. in Elmwood Park. Sizzling meats, steaming noodles, crisp rice and sauteed veggies are prepared right in front of delighted diners.
Technically the cooking is done on teppanyaki grills, which translates as grilling on an iron plate. Hibachi refers to the use of an open flame. But throughout the U.S. – think Ron of Japan and Benihana – this dinner and a show is referred to as hibachi.
Come hungry.
First, choose a protein. There are many options: chicken, steak, salmon, scallops, calamari – regular or teriyaki style. Shrimp is served straight from the grill, with garlic or golden with egg and cheese. Lobster is garlic or golden. Tofu grills up well too.
While you munch on salad, then slurp Japanese mushroom and onion soup, watch as the chef warms up the grill with an attention-getting burst of flames. The first course from the grill is chicken fried rice. Here’s where the show gets, shall we say, dicey.
Spatulas and forks fly. Eggs balance and twirl, then disappear into the top of the chef’s hat only to return to the grill as a necessary component in the fried rice.
Getting hired as a hibachi cook at New Star is not an entry-level job.
“You have to have at least five years experience. And then when they come in, we’re training in our style, probably a few weeks,” said hibachi chef Johnny Mei. “It’s not that easy to cook in front of customers. You have to do a show, talk to customers and you have to make sure the food taste good.”
While the fried rice course is nibbled, wheat noodles are warmed and sauced, preparing to support the main course. Plate side dipping sauces, including New Star’s special house made Yum Yum sauce, appears.
Hibachi is a community affair with each grill seating nine guests. It’s fun to ooh and ahh together over the antics each chef weaves into their more serious business. At one point a stack of onions is transformed into a flame-throwing volcano, then into a steaming train engine. Sometimes sound effects are thrown in using a toy train whistle.
“I like cooking for the families. It’s nice when they come out, when you can actually make people happy,” said Chef Mei. He works at New Star for another reason too, the owner Jinny Zhao. “She uses the best ingredients. And if there are problems, she fixes them right away.”
A seat at the grill is a hot property, not only from the heat shimmering off the surface, but also due to the popularity of this eating style. On weekends reservations are a must, but still people walk in and are willing to wait.
It’s just too good to pass up, said the Alvear family, who have eaten at New Star’s hibachi more than 20 times. They took advantage of a Tuesday afternoon during spring break to dine, when they could more easily get seated.
When Zhao purchased New Star, the back room was a banquet space for large groups. She wanted to make it a destination, so she invested in the grills.
“We have eight tables now. We are going to add two more, because people are waiting too long,” said Zhao.
Back at the grill, chefs make the next move, sauteing a shrimp appetizer, then cooking each diner’s main dish protein. A mountain of sauteed vegetables accompanies the feast.
It’s more than most people could eat at once.
As appetites are sated, servers bring out take home boxes. But before the meal is done a scoop of vanilla, chocolate or strawberry ice cream and a fortune cookie sweeten the deal.
I hope you wore your loose pants!
Know before you go
7444 W. North Ave., Elmwood Park
Hours:
Monday through Thursday: 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Sunday: noon to 9:30 p.m.
